Ball bearing universal joint



BAL

J. L. WARE. l. BEARING UNIVERSAL 10m.

APPLICATION Hill) MA! i0, IBIS.

Patented Oct. 7, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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BALL BEARING UNIVERSAL JOINT.

APPLICATION mu) MAY 10. IBIS.

1,317,842; Patented Oct. 7,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHE! 2. I

JOSEPH L. WARE, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

BALL-335E111 G UNIVERSAL JOINT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosErH L. WARE, a

citizen of the United States, residin at St. 1 Paul, in the county of Ramsey and tate of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ball-Bearing Universal Joints, of which the following 18 a specification. My invention relates to ball bearlng un1-.

versal joints and the object is to provide a universal joint whereby one shaft may be driven from another shaft regardless of whether or not the two shafts are in axial alinement and in which the friction between all of the relativel moving parts of the joint will be reduce to aminimum.

The full objects and advantages of my mvention will appear in connectlon with the detailed description thereof and are particularly inted out in the claims.

- Re erringto the accompanying drawings,

' tion. Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but taken at right angles thereto. Fi 8 is a view in section on the line 8-8 0 Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrow. ig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 but showing a slight modification. Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 8 but showing another slight modification. Fig. 11 is a similar vlew showing another sl' ht modification.

Referring to the rawings, 10 and 12 designate a driving and a driven shaft, and for convenience 10 will be referred to as the driving shaft and 12 as the driven shaft. The end of the shaft 10 is screw threaded for engagementby a nut 14 having corre- :ponding screw threads. This nut retains a orked member 16 which is keyed on the shaft 10, the end of which is preferably. inclined for engagement by the correspondingly inclined wall of an opening in the member 16. This member is therefore securely held on the end of the shaft 10 and the outer end of the member 16 mayhave a Specification of ream nan. Application fled Kay 10, 1012. Serial Io. scans.

Patented Oct. 7, 1919.

ring 18 shrunk thereon in order to strengthen it. The two ends of the forks are provided with half bearings which cooperate with half hearings in caps 20 which are held upon the ends of the for s by-bolts 22. The bearings thus formed serve to receive trunnions 24. formed at diametrically-opposite points of an annular member 26. The trunnions and the bearings are formed with grooves to receive a series of circularly arranged balls 28. Adjacent each flat face of the an nular member is a disk-like member 30, each of which members is separated from the adaeent face of the annular member by a serles of circularly-arranged balls 32 held in grooves in the annular member and in the disk-like members. The disk members are heldin place by a bolt 34 passing through openings therein and through a larger open- 111g in the annular member in order that there may be no engagement between the bolt and said member. Each of the disk members has an extended portion 36 and these two portions are hollowed out to form an angular axially-extended recess into WlllCh projects the angularly-shaped end of the shaft 12. The two portions 36 fit togather by an offset joint 38 and have lugs 40 through which pass bolts 42 for securin the two portlons together. The ends 0 the members 36 are screw threaded at 44 and taperedat 46 to receive a screwing. ring 48 whlch 1s correspondingly screw threaded and The end of the shaft 12 is squa and fits slidingly within the recess formed by the two portions 36 which are permltted to have an axial movement to rovide for the different positions assmn by the universal joint when the two shafts 10 and. 12 are not in axial alinement. The range of movement of the shaft 10 out of axial almement with the shaft 12 is indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. It is evident that series of balls 28 provide for an e shifting of the joint in one plane, while ing movement in a second plane at-right angles to thefirst plane.

e'balls 32 provide for an easy shift In the forms shown inFigs. 3 and 8, the

recess in the two members 46 is formed by two oppositely-disposed half portions triangular in emwsection. In the form shown.

in Fig. 9 the recess is formed by two half .portions of a square when the members are viewed in cross-section. In Fig. 10 the recase is circular in cross-section, or cylindrical considered as an entiret and the end of the shaft 12 is cylindrica in order to fit within the c lindrical reces and is caused to rotate wit the members 36 by a splined connection. In Fig. 11 the recess is rectangular in cross-section so that one dimension is longer than the other and the shaft is of substantially the same shape.

The operation'and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the foregoing description. Motion will be freely transm tted from the driving shaft 10 to the driven shaft 12 regardless of whether or not the two shafts are in axial alinement, since the ball bearings with which the universal joint is provided reduce to a minimum the friction between all of the parts of the joint having relative movement.

I claim:

1. A ball bearing universal joint comprising a member having spaced bearings a member between said bearings and having trunnions extending into said bearings, balls between each of said trunnions and its associated bearing, a transmission member having separated end portions adjacent opposite faces of said trunnion carrying memher, and two series of circularly arranged balls lying respectively between said endportions and'sald faces of the trunnion carrying member.

2. A ball bearing universal joint comprising a forked member, each of the forked ends of which is provided with a bearing, an annular member hav'in trunnions extending into said bearin b s between said trunnions and said arings, disk-like members adjacent the opposite faces of said annular member, balls between said disk-like memtrunnions and said bearings, disk-like members adjacent the opposite faces of said annular member, balls between said disk-like members and said annular member, means for holding said disk-like members upon said balls, and hollow members. extending from said disk-like members, said hollow members conjointly forming a recess for slidingly and non-rotatably receiving the end of a second shaft.

4. A ball bearin universal joint comprising a forked mem er adapted to be secured to a shaft, each of the ends of said forked member being provided with a bearing, an annular member having trunnions extending into said bearings, balls within said. trunnions and .said bearings, disk-like members adjacent the opposite aces of said annular member balls between said disk-like members and said annular member abolt passing through and holding said disk-like members upon said balls, said bolt being spaced from the central opening of annular member, and hollow members extending from said disk-like members, said hollow members conjointly forming a recess for slidingly and non-rotatably receiving the end of a second shaft.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

- JOSEPH L. WARE. 

